Analyze an ad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Analyze an ad - Essay Example So as to minimize the seriousness of the message, visual symbols are applied (Danna 100). For instance, in the ‘father and mother I love you’ ad, there were no real people used to portray the message, only the moving letters F-A-M-I-L-Y and caricatures. This essay analyzes the ‘father and mother I love you’ ad in terms of cultural ideas and the nature and effectiveness of the rhetoric used. Analysis The ‘family and mother I love you’ ad portrays the roles of parents in the family: the father as the ‘pillar’ and ‘shelter’ and mother as the light and guardian. It is a metaphorical ad in the sense that it only uses symbols to communicate its message. The word ‘family’ is at the center of the ad and it shows the changes the ‘family’ went through. It shows how the father and mother care for the family, how the child grows up, how s/he eventually left the family to have a life of his/her own, how the parents aged, and how their grownup child returns to them to take over the responsibility over the family. The initial background shows a home, and then the latter part shows the outside world where hardships are experienced, which is symbolized by the rain. Cultural ideas and stereotypes are effectively used in this advertisement. It elicits a powerful emotional impact because it appeals to the traditional idea that the family is all about love, compassion, and sacrifice, especially on the part of the parents. One of the main cultural ideas used is that we should take responsibility of our parents when they are getting older. Our parents took care of us when we were young and still helpless, and so it is our responsibility to take care of them when they get old and weak. This form of familial responsibility is embraced in most Asian cultures. In many Asian countries, the children are expected to take care of their parents when they grow up. It is a disgrace to leave the parents in an institution or transfer the responsibility of caring for them to a relative or professional caregiver (Adamson 88). On the other hand, in several Western countries, parents expect their children to be independent and learn to take care of themselves, not their parents (Rama 24). However, in more traditional Western homes, the family is still the most important part of children’s lives. There are also cultural stereotypes used. The parents are shown to be the loving and self-sacrificing people in the family. It suggests that parents should never be disappointed by their children. It tries to say that we are here because of our parents and that fact alone is enough to make us remember our responsibility to our parents. There are numerous parents in the world who feel frustrated and disappointed of their children because of their lack of respect and irresponsible attitude toward their family. This is depicted in the ad where the ‘I’—the child—begin s to disobey his/her parents and break their rules. The disappointment of ‘F’—the father—and ‘M’—the mother—is shown by their crying. But many parents tolerate their children’s foolishness and forgive their mistakes because of parental love and sacrifice. These parents are willing to bear the pain only if it means comfort and a good life for their children. Thus the cultural stereotyp